


The art of swordplay

by Myfishpink



Category: No Straight Roads (Video Game)
Genre: Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:29:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26572216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myfishpink/pseuds/Myfishpink
Summary: Rin gets sword fighting lessons from Neon J
Comments: 22
Kudos: 170





	The art of swordplay

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not dead yet! No straight roads has taken over my life and this is my first fic for it, so I hope you enjoy!

Rin whistled as he paced through the halls of the mansion. There wasn't much left to do, his performance with his brothers went smoothly, he had finished all his dance lessons and interviews and Neon J was at a meeting with NSR. He was honestly a little bored. He wandered aimlessly around the mansion, glancing into the many rooms that lined the hall in search of something interesting. And then something shiny caught his eye. 

It was Neon's cane, leaning against the case of an old miniature ship model. Rin stared at the cane for a long time, he knew that it belonged to his father and he'd likely be furious if he found out he touched it, But that golden shine from the orb on the top was too good to resist. He entered the room and picked up the long black cane, he turned it around in his hand, examining it. He tugged on the the golden orb experimentally and jumped slightly as the orb pulled away from the rest of the cane, revealing the glinting steel blade hidden inside. Rin was amazed, he had known his father had experience in battle but he never knew he had sword! He fully pulled out the sword from the cane and turned it in his hand, watching the light reflect off the metal, his eyes filled with wonder as he stared at the weapon. 

He started to slash at the air haphazardly, pretending to duel some one, he laughed as he flailed the sword around, his imaginary opponent moving around room and him giving chase, trying his best not to hit any of the trophies or furniture in the room. Rin was so distracted by his duel that he didn't notice Neon J entering the room. 

"What are you doing soldier!?" Neon J yelled. 

Rin's smile quickly faded, replaced by a terrified scowl, he hid the sword behind his back and gave the most innocent smile he could manage "Oh! H-hey Dad-J, h-how's it hanging?" Rin nervously asked. 

Neon J was unamused by his robotic son's attempted distraction, the cyborg veteran grabbed Rin's wrist holding his sword "Did you try to steal my sword?" He asked angrily 

"I was gonna put it back I swear!-" Rin tried to explain but Neon cut him off 

"Unbelievable, I leave you alone for 5 minutes and your stealing my weapon!" He said, putting hand on his screen. 

Rin looked at the floor ashamed "Dad, I'm-" 

"and your not even using it right!" Neon gestured angrily to Rin 

"Huh?" Rin said, tilting his head slightly 

"I mean, your stance is all wrong, your slashes lack weight, your not even holding it right!" Neon ranted. 

Rin just stood there as his father went on and on about proper swordplay, he was expecting a lecture but not this kind, he wasn't sure if he should be relived or concerned 

"You know what? Skrew it, come with me" Neon said as he grabbed rin by the arm 

"H-hey! Where are you taking me?" Rin asked. 

Neon answered "I'm gonna teach how to be a real swordsmen!"

~☆~ 

"Now, everything begins with your stance" Neon said.

They had moved to the mansion's court yard for there lesson. Rin took a fighting stance as Neon focused on his form, arms crossed behind his back "Keep your stance wide and your body lowered" Neon J pointed out. 

Rin shifted his legs further apart and lowered his body closer to the ground as Neon pulled out his own sword and took a fighting stance as well, crossing the blades of there swords together "Follow my lead. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot..." Neon said as he and Rin stepped back and forth, gradually getting faster and faster. 

As he stepped backwards, Rin looked back nervously, only to be meet with a sudden push and stern look from Neon "Soldier! Keep your eyes on me when your moving backwards!" He said 

"R-right! Sorry..." Rin said awkwardly. Neon J thrusted his blade at Rin, catching him off gaurd. Rin barely managed to dodge it and answered with his own thrust that was easily parried by Neon 

"C'mon soldier, that was weak! you need to put your back into it! Draw power from your legs, through your hips and channel it into your thrust" Neon explained. Rin nodded and thrusted again, twisting his hips and putting his full weight behind his thrust. Neon parried it again 

"Again" Neon commanded 

Rin thrusted again, Neon parried it again 

"Again" 

Another thrust, another parry 

"Again!" 

This went on for the rest of the afternoon and in the end, Rin couldn't lay a single scratch on Neon. Rin looked at the exhausted android lying on the ground 

"Yikes, looks like we have alot of work to do" Neon sighed as he made his way back inside 

"We'll have another lesson tomorrow, same time sharp" Neon said, tossing Rin a towel. Rin could only sigh as he wiped the oil off his face, this was even harder than his dance lessons, but he wasn't about to give up now.

~☆~ 

From that day on, every afternoon Rin whould train with Neon. He learned how to parry, dodge, slash and thrust, spending hours repeating the motions over and over to get it just right. Yet still he hasn't managed to land a single hit on Neon. 

He thrusted at the air, his mettalic feet moving around the stage as the imaginary Neon he was fighting slashed at him, which he quickly parried. The rest of 1010 had made there way to the dance studio to wait for Neon J to start dance practice and were surprised to Rin on the stage 

"Yo dude, what are you doing here so early?" Zimulu asked, snapping Rin out of his mental duel 

"Oh, nothing, just hanging around... WITH MY NEW SWORD!" Rin announced as he proudly showed off his weapon, his brothers letting an autotuned "Oooooooh!" As they admired the reflective metal of the blade. Rin had always been a little jealous of his brothers for having personal weapons. Zimulu had sawblades, Purl-hew had bo-staffs, Haym had missiles and Eloni had bombs but he didn't have anything! Now with the sword, he finally had a weapon to call his own. 

"Woah! That looks so cool!" Haym said excitedly as he stared at the sword "When did you learn how to use it?" He asked 

"Dad-J started teaching me after I he caught me messing around with his cane" Rin explained "and, I don't mean to brag, but I'd say I've gotten pretty good at it" Rin said as he showed off his sword technique to his brothers, his blade practically dancing as his brothers watch in awe 

"Your taking swordfighting lessons from Dad-J? Is that why you were covered in bandages during our last interview?" Eloni asked. Rin let out an small embarrased noise before Zimulu climbed up on the stage and wrapped his arm around Rin 

"Guess he whooped you pretty good, huh?" Zimulu teased. If metal could blush, Rin whould have turned into a cherry tomato. He wedged his sword between himself and his brother's arm to dislodge it 

"Th-That was a fluke!" Rin assured nervously. An obvious lie that his brothers catch up on, looking at him with identical smug grins. Rin let out a frustrated autotuned noise before hoping down from the stage and heading for the door 

"I'll show all of you! I'm gonna beat him next time for sure!" Rin declares as he shuts the door behind him

~☆~ 

Rin sprinted towards the court yard, Neon waiting for him at the center 

"Ah, soldier. Right on time" Neon said. Rin had been training with Neon for 3 months and was practically an expert by now (at least he tought so). 

"You've been making great strides soldier. I am proud of your progress" Neon said as Rin smiled confidently at the compliment 

"However! There's still room for improvement! Your grip is too soft, your too aggressive and leave yourself open to attacks and your parrying needs some work" Neon critiqued "Your still a far ways away from beating me" he said. Rin frowned a bit, he knew that was probably true, but we was determined to prove him wrong "Well them, let's begin" Neon said. 

Rin took out his sword and took a fighting stance as Neon did the same. There was brief pause as a leaf blew through the wind, before Rin thrusted his blade at Neon which he effortlessly dodge. They went back and forth, Rin relentlessly attacking as Neon calmly parried his strikes. Neon finally retaliated with a slash that Rin dodged, leaving himself wide open. Neon went in for the finishing blow. 

Rin smiled 

He dodged Neon's finishing slash, disappearing from his line of sight. He trusted his blade against his father's side (thankfully on one of the metal parts of his torso) and sent him flying across the court yard. As Neon tried to get up, he was stopped by a blade pointed at his screen. Rin stood above him, panting from the intense fight but eventually catching his breath and offering Neon a hand 

Neon smiled internally as he took Rin's hand 

"You got me soldier" he said "You got me good"

**Author's Note:**

> So did you like it?  
> Kudos and comment if you did!


End file.
